Chapter 189 Missed
It was late at night, and the sound of Meng Guanqi's even breathing as he slept could be heard in her ears. Li Xiaoxiao, unusually, was suffering from insomnia.
She has been in this world for five years, and she has never felt so anxious and sleepless as she has today.
The most dangerous situation she encountered in the past five years was when she first transmigrated and found herself in a flood. She was severely injured and powerless. If she hadn't been rescued by a girl named Xiao Yan, she would likely have died on the spot.
But she survived. After reaching the shore, nothing ever threatened her life again. Even when waves of assassins tried to kill the Crown Prince, she could easily defeat them by confronting them head-on.
This is her rebirth. Although she had once been a slave, she felt incredibly happy every day she lived in this world.
She said for several years that "living a carefree life is my highest ideal," and she wasn't joking; she genuinely thought so.
In this feudal era, even being forced into slavery was better than living a life of constant danger, never knowing when or why one might die in the apocalypse.
So she completely let her guard down.
She never imagined that she had traveled through time, and that the wolf might have come with her.
She didn't die, which means the wolf probably didn't die either.
Both she and it belonged to a place outside this world. She just didn't understand why this wolf had only come out to do evil now. Where had it been for the past five years?
Or is there a problem with the magnetic field in Yizhou, and Silver Wolf only just jumped out of the time tunnel?
Until we see the Silver Wolf with our own eyes, we can only guess.
But whatever the truth is is no longer important; what matters is that the wolf has appeared beside her, very close.
She was all alone in the apocalypse. Whether she was dead or alive, no one cared, and she had no one she cared about. So when she went hunting, she was always prepared not to come back.
But she had lived here for five years, had a lover and a family, and was already full of vulnerabilities.
If Silver Wolf were to confront the Imperial Guards and the Qilin Army head-on, they would all suffer the same tragic fate as Fuyuan Town and Linxia Village.
But Li Xiaoxiao couldn't even explain to them how difficult this wolf was to deal with, or tell them to run as far away as possible. She also knew that there was no way to avoid it; it had already come and caused two tragedies. If she just let it go, it would only cause more tragedies over and over again, and the people of Dawu would all become its food.
It is now moving its base along the mountains and forests, attacking villagers near the mountains from time to time. Once it discovers that the humans here have poor means of attack and are unable to resist its killing, it will no longer limit itself to killing in the mountain villages, and it will become unrestrained.
As the only person who could possibly stand against it, Li Xiaoxiao couldn't just ignore it out of fear.
She will never have peace until she kills the silver wolf.
Her gaze was empty as she stared at the roof. If she still had the strength she possessed in the apocalypse, she would have taken the initiative to attack without hesitation. However, she knew that because she had lived too comfortably all these years, her strength was no longer even half of what it used to be.
Even at the height of her power, she couldn't kill Silver Wolf, so what about now?
She could only pray that she wasn't the only one whose strength had been weakened, but Silver Wolf's as well.
Once she falls, without her to shield them, Meng Guanqi, Rui Rui, A Ze, Emperor Hongxing, the Empress... they will all be disemboweled and reduced to a pile of fragments.
Thinking of this, her heart ached as if it were being stabbed. She couldn't imagine how she would face it if all of this actually happened in front of her.
We cannot sit idly by and wait to die, absolutely not!
She had to do something, even if it was just a small effort, that might save the lives of these innocent people.
She quietly got up and went outside into the courtyard, startling the palace maids and eunuchs on night duty. They quietly came over and asked her if she needed anything. Li Xiaoxiao shook her head, signaling them to go back, while she began patrolling the perimeter of Tangquan Palace.
It was not her turn to be on duty, yet she appeared here. The guards on night watch were somewhat surprised, but they immediately smiled at her and greeted her respectfully.
Li smiled and said, "Have you heard about the wolf pack in Tianjin? Those of you on night watch must not slack off, and you must not sleep. Report any incidents immediately, understand?"
The guards stood at attention and said, "Understood. General Pang has already given instructions, and we have them all remembered."
Li Xiaoxiao glanced at their side and suddenly said to one of them, "Where's your knife?"
The guard was taken aback, touched his side, and said apologetically, "It must have been left behind when I went to relieve myself. I'll go get it right away."
Li Xiaoxiao said with a serious expression: "If a pack of wolves appeared in front of you right now, and you didn't even bring a knife, how would you fulfill your duty as a guard? Would you run away? Would you avoid them and let the wolves march straight into Tangquan Palace?"
"And you!" Li Xiaoxiao's gaze shifted to another guard who had been watching the commotion. She reached out and tugged at his armor, which immediately tumbled off his body. Li Xiaoxiao's expression grew even more serious: "What's the use of wearing armor like that? Can it protect you? No, not only can it not protect you, but when it slips off you in battle, it will hinder your movements and stop you from moving, potentially costing you your life in an instant! Is this how you treat your own life?!"
The guard was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly put his armor back on and fastened it tightly. He then apologized to Li Xiaoxiao, saying, "It was my carelessness. Please forgive me, General!"
The next morning, news of Li Xiaoxiao's surprise inspection of the night guards and the reprimand she gave to almost all of them quickly spread throughout the Tangquan Palace and reached the ears of Emperor Hongxing.
Emperor Hongxing summoned her and asked in surprise, "I heard you scolded all the guards on night duty last night? What happened? I've never seen you with such a stern face before..."
Moreover, the reasons for scolding him were either that he didn't bring a knife, or that his clothes weren't on properly, or that he had been drinking, or that he was daydreaming, not even noticing such trivial things as her being right next to him...
Li Xiaoxiao has always been free and unrestrained, so she rarely cares about such trivial matters. However, yesterday, even though it wasn't her turn to be on night duty, she still scolded the guards, which was completely unexpected by Emperor Hongxing.
Li Xiaoxiao said with a serious expression, "Doesn't Your Majesty think the guards are too lazy? Yunfu Mountain is much warmer than the capital, and it's not cold to be on night duty. Yet they are so perfunctory. If someone were to launch a sneak attack, their little mistakes could cost them their lives."
Emperor Hongxing looked at her in surprise. Li Xiaoxiao was actually serious, and she was even angry: "Your Majesty only learned yesterday that the wolf pack might be heading north. What if they suddenly attack Tangquan Palace in the middle of the night and encounter such lazy guards? Wouldn't these wolves just be able to march straight in and slaughter us at will? A pack of wolves that can directly attack more than thirty patrol soldiers and raid a village of more than two hundred people is not an ordinary wolf pack as we imagine..."
The more she spoke, the more uncertain she felt: "No, even if the guards are skilled, their hearing and sense of smell are not as keen as wild animals. Your Majesty, please send someone down the mountain to find a few local dogs to guard the Tangquan Palace. Dogs have a keen sense of smell and can alert you if they detect anything unusual. This matter should be done as soon as possible. Your Majesty, please have Wan Quan find someone to do it."
She was actually serious.
Emperor Hongxing joked, "I didn't expect you to be so nervous. It's just a pack of wolves. Do you really think they would dare to attack Tangquan Palace?"
Li Xiaoxiao said solemnly, "It's better to be safe than sorry. The more thorough the precautions, the better."
Emperor Hongxing thought it made sense. It was within her duty to regulate military discipline, and as the commander of the Eastern Palace Guard, it was only natural for her to prioritize the safety of Tangquan Palace. He nodded in agreement and ordered Wan Quan to arrange for people to go down the mountain to look for the dog.
While Wan Quan was searching for the dog, Li Xiaoxiao was also busy. She usually carried two weapons with her: a snow-white short sword that she had made herself, and a dagger that Emperor Hongxing had given her when he was still the crown prince. She found a whetstone and carefully sharpened the blade.
Aze and Rui Rui came over to tease her, wanting her to take them to play in the back mountain, but she refused sternly. She told the two children that there might be wolves in the back mountain: "You must play in the palace and absolutely do not sneak out, do you understand? There may be a pack of wolves waiting to eat you outside the mountain."
The two children were so frightened by her that they became completely obedient. They went to school in the morning and played at Tangquan Palace in the afternoon, not daring to go out at all.
Li Xiaoxiao sharpened the two daggers and hung them on her waist. She then took out the black whip that Pang Shi had given her when she fought Lu Ke that day and held it in her hand to see if there was any way to upgrade it.
Pang Shi came to find her: "I heard that you scolded the guards yesterday and sent Eunuch Wan down the mountain to look for the dog. Why are you so nervous?"
They're just a pack of wolves. Even if they've committed bloodshed in the past, they only prey on isolated civilians. How could they possibly come here to besiege Tangquan Palace? There are over a thousand of them.
As the number one expert in the Great Wu, Li Xiaoxiao's tense state could easily affect Emperor Hongxing.
Li Xiaoxiao did not answer the question, but instead asked Pang Shi, "If it's about dealing with a pack of wolves, the most useful thing is a bow and arrow. Does Tangquan Palace have many bows and arrows?"
Pang Shi said, "We did prepare a batch, which was originally intended for His Majesty to use when hunting in the mountains."
Li smiled and said, "Your Majesty wouldn't be thinking of going hunting at a time like this, would you?"
Pang Shi said, "The wolf pack's mission was canceled after the news spread, so naturally we dare not go anymore."
That's good.
Li smiled and asked, "When does Your Majesty plan to return to the palace?"
Pang Shi was both amused and exasperated: "You really want to persuade His Majesty to leave? It's still early, at least after the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, it's only the eleventh now."
"We'll have to stay here for another eleven or twelve days," Li Xiaoxiao sighed. It was too long. But Emperor Hongxing refused to leave Tangquan Palace early, and she couldn't persuade him. She could only pray that the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month would come quickly.
Li Xiaoxiao picked up the black whip: "What material is this made of? Can you make it a little heavier?"
Pang Shi reached out and took the black whip, weighing it in his hand: "This whip is already heavy enough, and it is made of the finest cowhide and tendons. Even if we were to remake it, it would take a long time."
Li Xiaoxiao sighed. The whip was quite good, but it was a bit too light for her to use. If she were to use it for an attack, it wouldn't have the lethality she wanted.
But there's no current condition to redo it.
Hopefully, none of her preparations will be needed.
Wan Quan found five local dogs from the foot of the mountain to guard the gate. One was placed on each of the four sides of Tangquan Palace, and the last one was placed in Aze's yard. The two children now play with the dogs every day.
As the days passed, it gradually approached the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month. Li Xiaoxiao gradually relaxed from her initial tension. So many days had passed, and everything was calm. In addition to guarding the area around Tangquan Palace at night, the guards she arranged also patrolled around during the day to look for traces of wolves, but they found nothing. If the wolves had really gone north, it would be impossible for them to have made no move at all.
It seems the wolf pack didn't head in the direction of Yunfu Mountain.
She felt a little relieved and turned her attention to the investigation results in Linxia Village. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no progress yet, as Lü Tong had not sent any reports.
Emperor Hongxing had also been affected by Li Xiaoxiao's nervousness these days. He had canceled the hunting trip he had planned. However, when he was about to return to the palace, he found that everything was calm and nothing had happened. He couldn't help but feel a little itchy to go out and have some fun. However, when he mentioned it to Li Xiaoxiao, she refused. She said that he could take people for a walk in the back mountain, but he could not go out hunting in a big way.
Even when she was just taking her ministers for a walk in the back mountains, she would send the Imperial Guards ahead to scout out the area before letting Emperor Hongxing go.
When Emperor Hongxing traveled with his officials, he was naturally accompanied by the most elite troops to protect his safety. Aze and Ruirui had been wanting to go to the back mountain for days, so they followed behind Emperor Hongxing. Ruirui even brought the puppy from the yard with them.
Tomorrow we'll be returning to the palace. After working at Tangquan Palace for over twenty days, there's a lot to pack and pack. Unfortunately, all the higher-ranking officials in the study have gone to the back mountain with Emperor Hongxing to relax, leaving only two low-ranking clerks to tidy up the huge study. Those left behind are understandably dissatisfied.
These days, Li Xiaoxiao has been extremely strict. They wanted to go for a walk in the back mountain to enjoy the scenery, but she refused them on the grounds of safety. At first, everyone really thought there was a pack of wolves and was too scared to go out. But after so many days, they found nothing and missed a rare good time. They felt even more resentful towards Li Xiaoxiao for being so controlling.
Three parts dissatisfaction, four parts resentment, combined, resulted in seven parts perfunctory work. So when Lü Tong's urgent memorial from the capital arrived at the gate of Tangquan Palace for the clerk to receive, the clerk thought, "Why send a memorial when he's about to leave? It takes almost half an hour to go from the study to the gate of Tangquan Palace, going down and then up the mountain. And there's still so much work to do..."
He went down the mountain to receive the memorial in a very unpleasant mood. When he returned to the mountain, it happened to be lunchtime. Since the Grand Secretaries were not there, the clerk didn't care whether it was urgent or not. He put the memorial in his pocket and went to eat first. After eating, he felt sleepy and wanted to go back to rest. He touched the memorial in his pocket and asked a passing colleague to help him put the memorial in the study.
His colleague casually placed the memorial on the desk and, as he turned to leave, accidentally knocked over a pile of memorials on the table. He hurriedly picked them up and folded them, unknowingly mixing this memorial with a pile of memorials that had already been reviewed.
He folded the folded document haphazardly, straightened it out, and then left.
In the afternoon, the officials who had gone out for a stroll with Emperor Hongxing returned one after another. Yang Shimin, Zhou Huaijin, and others entered the study one after another and dealt with government affairs as usual. They piled up the memorials they had reviewed until they were almost full. Zhou Huaijin called out, "These are the ones that have been reviewed. Put them together and distribute them after returning to the palace. As for the ones that haven't been reviewed, find something else to pack them up and take them with you."
The clerk brought over a bamboo basket and put the memorials away, unaware that Lü Tong's memorial had been mixed in with them.
His statement in the memorial, "Traces of a wolf pack heading north towards Yunfu Mountain have been discovered. Your Majesty, please be sure to take precautions," naturally went unnoticed.
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